When we renovated our lake house, I never knew how much we would use and love our deck. It literally is our Happy Place at the lake. It is where we sit and look into space like my dad use to do in Colorado in the summer. It is where the conversation flows more easily than normal. It is where I love being a part of God's creation by watching the waves, the fish jumping, the blue herons stand on the roof of the dock, the ducks swimming by and even the wake boarders and children screaming with glee as they're bumped around on a ski boat tube.
It took some doing, though. When we started our renovation, the deck was very narrow, so we widened it as far as we could within the lake restrictions. We removed the worn wood flooring and installed a deck made of APEX bamboo composite. Our contractor said it was the most sturdy and long-lasting flooring we could use outside. I also love the natural look of it and it's smooth on bare feet. This was not an area we would choose to save money on, because honestly, decks can be a lot of maintenance and we did not want to have to be repairing the wood all the time.
Another big decision we faced was the railing. My husband was in love with the antique railing in all of its rusty glory. We could replace it with new, scrape it down and paint it or just leave it as is. I was worried about little ones who would be touching the bars and cutting themselves on the paint chips. So we compromised.
We kept the antique railing but sanded down the paint chips and rust. This saved money - we didn't replace it and didn't paint it. The next thing was furnishing the deck with inviting chairs and tables. We also wanted low maintenance furniture so that we weren't always bringing cushions in and out.
My husband loves finding wrought iron furniture at estate sales, and I admit Kansas City is a mecca for estate sales. So, we got it powder coated with a rough finish that lasts years, and we don't have to deal with it. The wrought iron also allow us to simply add pillows for color if we want, and even a tablecloth for a special dinner makes a big difference.
The thing we have loved most are these wooden rockers made out of hickory wood. I found these custom made from a store in Fort Worth, Texas, Rios Interiors. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore but I'm hoping someday they change their minds on that. We would love to add them all across the deck. Everyone fights to sit on these comfy, substantial pieces that rock the stress of the week right out of you.
Between the rockers, we created a unique end table by using an estate sale wrought iron table and had a limestone top made for it. This updates it with a vintage flair.
1. Keep existing railing and sand it down for a vintage look.
2. Buy wrought iron furniture at estate sales and paint it or even better, powder coat.
3. Add color with easy pillows and table cloths instead of cumbersome cushioned furniture that must be covered or moved in and out.
I hope your deck can become your Happy Place too!
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Hi! I'm Merrie. I'm a lover of lake life and all the styles to go with it. Enjoy shopping through my store and being lakeside with me!
Jennifer
September 27, 2021
I absolutely love your deck and so peaceful. Thanks for sharing money saving tips. You’re articles are always helpful.